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TODAY'S PAPER BUSINESS

February 21, 2014
The dawn of a social empire
ANUJ SRIVAS
In the advertiing buine, there i on!y one true "od# the attention $an of
%onu&er' A uer( attention, the on!y %o&&odity that rea!!y &atter, i
o&ething Fa%eboo) ha been !oing in the *a)e of the &art$hone
e+$!oion' It rea!!y in(t Fa%eboo)( fau!t, though' ,he %o&$any( raison
d'tre ha been about $ub!i% haring, $ub!i% broad%at and the %u!tivation of
&ot!y u$erfi%ia!, o%ia! re!ationhi$'
So%ia! &edia uer don(t head to Fa%eboo) to have intene $erona!
%onveration' -nter .hatA$$ and it other %!one' .hatA$$ i about the
e$he&era! and the $rivate/ about %u!tivating trong re!ationhi$ *ith %!oe
friend'
0ther $oint in .hatA$$( favour are that it i a true %reation of the &obi!e
*or!d' ,he a$$!i%ation i !ight1*eight and &u%h eaier to ue than
Fa%eboo), *hi%h &ore often that not betray it de)to$ biae' -very
e%ond a uer $end in .hatA$$, therefore, i a e%ond !ot to the
Fa%eboo) advertiing &a%hine'
.ith the a%2uiition of .hatA$$, Fa%eboo) 3-0 4ar) 5u%)erberg ha
thro*n in the to*e! it a$$ear' -ven if hi engineering tea& %ou!d bui!d a
.hatA$$ e2uiva!ent 6*hi%h they %annot7, Fa%eboo)( re$utation i et in
tone no*' Nobody *ant to %ondu%t $rivate buine on a $ub!i% Fa%eboo)'
,hi i *hy it( *rong to ga$e in a*e at the 819 bi!!ion tag' ,hin) of it thi
*ay : i Fa%eboo) *rong in $ending rough!y 10; of it &ar)et va!ue in
buying the &ar)et !eader of an a$e%t of the <o%ia!= buine that it
effe%tive!y %annot enter>
A eri!a"le #m"rella
And &a)e no &ita)e# 5u%)erberg intend to bui!d a <o%ia! $ortfo!io= of
buinee that intend to %a$ture ea%h a$e%t of <o%ia!=, *ith Fa%eboo)
do&inating %aua! <o%ia!= and .hatA$$ do&inating eriou <o%ia!=' A
o%ia! buine e&$ire, if you *i!!, *here Fa%eboo) the o%ia! net*or)
*ebite *i!! be the %ro*n ?e*e!, but not the on!y ?e*e!'
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If anything, it i a !itt!e ho%)ing to ee ho* 2ui%)!y Fa%eboo) ha rea%ted to
the threat of diru$tion' It i a tri)ing %ontrat to ho* &ee)!y te%hno!ogy
%o&$anie of the $at 6@oda), No)ia, A!a%)Aerry7 fo!ded and gave u$'
In a!! !i)e!ihood, there *i!! be no integration of .hatA$$ into Fa%eboo):
the &eaging ervi%e i far &ore uefu! if it i )e$t at an ar&( !ength'
.hatA$$( uer data *i!! be funne!!ed into the Fa%eboo) advertiing
engine to %reate &ore effe%tive advertie&ent' Fa%eboo) *i!! then ue
.hatA$$ a a &ediu& to bui!d on the o%ia!, e1%o&&er%e e%oyte&'
,he on!y 2uetion that re&ain# .hat *i!! run out firt, Fa%eboo)( %ah
f!o* or the nu&ber of o%ia! &eaging a$$!i%ation that *i!! need to be
bought>